Dog friendly upholstery - Does it really exist?

Hi All,
I have heard and read so much conflicting information on selecting upholstery that is "dog friendly."

*Sunbrella is great./ No it is terrible and will pill when your dogs scratch it.

*Leather is great, especially lower grade leather that doesn't scratch easily. No it is terrible and if your dog pees on it watch out!

*Microfiber (like ultrasuede and sinsuede) is great. No it is thinner than other polyester fabrics and doesn't wear very well.

*Heavy duty polyester upholstery is great especially if it can withstand 60,000 rubs or more (this is some standard used in the furniture industry that I don't really understand).

My goal is to find a mid grade fabric that can withstand some scratching and occasional accidents (I have older dogs--the biggest one weighs 10 lbs). I want to buy 5088-03
Sofa from the Lee Industries. Now we just need to select a fabric. Any advice would be appreciated.

There is only one material that is going to do what you want it to do, Medical Grade Vinyl. Its waterproof, wont' scratch, wears like iron...etc, etc. Its the urine that is the problem. Going to soak through any fabric because by its nature its all woven. Scotchguard and the like wear off quickly. Almost all leathers cannot tolerate the urine well, though some of the finished leathers will do good service unless fully saturated .

There is a specialty company out that makes waterproof leather for upholstery, but its very costly = equal to a Hancock and Moore Price Grade 4.

We have a Microfiber couch that we just bought while contemplating this same issue and we really like it so far. While leather definitely makes clean up of shedding hair easier than does a microfiber fabric, it can also be scratched and torn by the claws of cats and dogs. If you have already settled the leather versus fabric debate and have decided on fabric, you may want to consider getting a microfiber couch. Microfiber sofas have certain advantages over other fabrics when it comes to pets.

Microfibers are super-thin polyester, and that makes it more difficult for dirt to adhere to the material. Result is easier-cleaning. It will not wear or last longer than a standard polyester material, however.

Microfibres, Inc. (an American fabric mill) makes special 100% nylon microfiber fabrics for the healthcare industries. They call these their 24/7 fabric lines. In addition to the normal microfiber advantages, this fabric has a special treatment that makes it permanently stainproof and waterproof.

A customer of mine spilled red wine on an off-white 24/7 microfiber and reported that it just beaded up and dropped off to the floor. It did not penetrate into the fibers at all.

I demonstrate the fabric in my showroom by writing on it with a thick black permanent marker and then wiping away the mark with a damp sponge and some liquid hand soap. I'm not completely sure but I think nylon may be a bit more durable than polyester. The 24/7 fabrics cost about 30% less than the basic Crypton fabrics.

Jeff Frank
Simplicity Sofas